Jeshua the high priest and Zerubbabel the governor led the community in rebuilding the altar. This is the only time in the book of Ezra that Jeshua is named first before Zerubbabel, and that is because of the religious nature of the project. For Jeshua the son of Jozadak and Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, see the comments on Ezra 2.2. Revised Standard Version spells the name Jozadak here as it is written in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah in Hebrew. Good News Translation, however, harmonizes with the spelling of the same name as it is found elsewhere in the Old Testament, so it has “Jehozadak” (see 1 Chr 6.14; Hag 1.1). Most versions follow the Hebrew spelling found here.

Arose … built: See the comment on “rose up” at Ezra 1.5.

With his fellow priests: The Hebrew says “and his brothers the priests” (see New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The Hebrew word for “brothers” often has a wider range of meaning than male siblings. It may refer to a larger family relationship such as male cousins, or it may refer to peers and associates as in this context. “The priests” occurs in apposition to “brothers,” so it specifies that they are fellow priests. For his fellow priests, some languages may have expressions such as “his peers,” “his others” or “his alike ones.” Contemporary English Version says “the other priests.”

With his kinsmen is a second reference to “brothers” in the Hebrew text. Here it occurs without a word in apposition that would specify a precise meaning. Some translations say literally “his brothers” (Nouvelle version Segond révisée, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Osty-Trinquet, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible), but others like Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation take it to mean family relatives in a more extended sense. These may be “his kin” (New Revised Standard Version) or “people who were related to him” (Bible en français courant). New International Version interprets it as “his associates.” In any case, here it clearly refers to the lay people or the wider community as distinct from the priests. Thus, the whole community, including both priests and lay people, was involved in the rebuilding of the altar and the restoration of worship.

They built the altar of the God of Israel: The Hebrew verb for built is the basic word for building or erecting a structure such as a house, a wall, a fortification, or an altar. A verb should be used here that is appropriate for building with solid materials like earth and rocks. Good News Translation says “rebuilt” in the context of the history that is being recounted, which clearly indicates that the altar is being built again (see the comments at Ezra 1.3).

The altar of the God of Israel was the place for sacrificing animals and birds as offerings to God. It was a structure that was built with a flat surface on top on which sacrificial animals or birds were placed. In the time of David an altar was built on Araunah’s threshing floor where the Temple would later be built by Solomon (2 Sam 24.18-19). It was probably built out of earth and uncut stones (see Exo 20.24-26; Deut 27.5-6). There was also a portable altar for the tabernacle (Exo 27.1-8; 38.1-7). By the time of Solomon and the building of the Temple, this portable altar had been replaced by a permanent bronze altar (1 Kgs 8.64; 2 Chr 4.1). The rebuilding of the altar in the time of Jeshua was probably with stones as prescribed for the people of Israel when they first entered the land. There was also a second altar that was used for burning incense to God, but that is not the one referred to here.

Many languages have words for altars, but a choice must be made carefully so that it is not implied that this altar and its sacrifices correspond to any used in the receptor culture. General terms should be used that may be applied to altars and sacrifices that are used by various people generally. Sometimes a descriptive construction may be used for altar, for example, “place-sacrifice-to-God,” “place-prepare-ritual-for-God,” or a similar pattern.

For God of Israel, see Ezra 1.3.

The Hebrew idiom that is translated to offer burnt offerings repeats the verbal forms for offering. These sacrifices were to be “holocausts” in the technical sense of the word (Bible de Jérusalem, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Osty-Trinquet). In these sacrifices animal carcasses were burned on the altar whole without the skin. Revised English Bible calls them “whole-offerings” (also Bible en français courant). The burnt offerings were the most common and general sacrifices. They were basically an act of worship with the aim of restoring harmony with God. They were offered to God for thanksgiving and atonement for unintentional sins. Natural forms of expression should be used in translation for offer burnt offerings, such as “burn sacrifices” (Good News Translation), “sacrifice burnt offerings” (New International Version), or perhaps “burn sacrifices for God” or “burn meat-for-God.”

The offerings were to be made as it is written in the law of Moses. Law of Moses means the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures that were known as the Books of Moses. The instructions that are referred to here are those relating to the offering of burnt offerings that are found primarily in Lev 1 and 6 (see A Handbook on Leviticus) and Num 28–29. There may have been sacrifices offered on a temporary altar in Jerusalem during the time of the exile, but this would not have been considered to be according to the Law of Moses. In some languages it may be necessary to restructure the passive construction here in an active form, for example, “as the Law of Moses prescribed.” Some versions in languages that use Roman script write the word for law with a small first letter like Revised Standard Version, but others capitalize the first letter when the word refers specifically to the Torah (so Good News Translation, English Standard Version, New International Version). Although many translations retain the traditional expression, the law of Moses, a few attempt to express the meaning of Torah; for example, “the instructions of Moses” (Amplified Bible) and “the Teaching of Moses” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

In Deut 33.1 Moses is described as the man of God. This is an expression that is used elsewhere in the Old Testament of prophets, for example, Samuel (1 Sam 9.6), Elijah (1 Kgs 17.24), and Elisha (2 Kgs 5.8). It refers to their special powers given by God. It does not refer to a special friendship with God, or to favoritism on God’s part. In some languages where the word “man” implies physical prowess and strength, it will be necessary to translate “the person of God.” It can also be rendered as “the prophet of God” (see the comments on Deut 33.1 in A Handbook on Deuteronomy) or “the servant of God” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch).

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .